Amitabh Bachchan: 'I was clinically dead for two minutes'

Amitabh Bachchan has claimed that doctors told him he was clinically dead for two minutes.

The actor famously sustained a life-threatening injury on the set of the 1982 film Coolie.

He told The Times of India: "Medical facilities in Bangalore were not that proficient at that time; of course now they are brilliant. I had to go through another immediate surgery and it was that surgery that I didn't come out of.

"I was in a coma and clinically dead for a couple of minutes. When I came out of it, they felt it was a kind of rebirth and wanted to celebrate [August 2] as my second birthday."

He added: "My respondents [on my blog] who are now my extended family keep asking about [the injury] and I said, 'Yes, one day I'll tell you all the details about what happened that day'. Most of it is unpleasant so I don't want to destroy their peace of mind."